Enough said. I won’t argue with you any more.
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Even though you haven’t needed to replace brake pads, I REALLY hope that you have been flushing the brake fluid every 3 years or so.
True…I ALWAYS inspect my plugs when I replace them. But as long as I’m removing them - I replace them. A new plug is less then $7. My time is worth way more then that.
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I have driven cars to 277000 miles and 200000 miles without ever doing that, and without line replacement. Then in about 2008, my Mazda B2300 began to lose lines. They were surprisingly rusty on the outside and who knows what on the inside. Of course it is a Ford Ranger.
Do more cars than before have brake line problems?
It involves a lot more effort to change spark plugs than it does to use the correct grade of oil and change it on time.
Absolutely not. They are considered wear items, to be replaced as per the maintenance schedule.
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Mazda’s factory service manual calls for replacement of plugs every 75,000 miles.
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Here comes a silly question. If Mazda wants my plugs changed at 75000 miles, how can they run to 165000 with no misfires? When I get them out, will I find a different plug? All four plugs have more than doubled the 75000 mile figure without a misfire. (I probably just jinxed myself.)
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I believe that spark plugs are covered to 80,000 on the Federal emissions warranty, if that is still around.
Here’s the Federal Emissions Warranty:
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P100NNQH.pdf
Only several “major” components are covered for 8yr/80K miles. These include catalytic converters, ECU and OBD systems. The rest are covered with a 2-yr/24K mile warranty.
Spark plugs are not covered by the 8yr/80K mile Fed warranty.
There are several nuances. It’s better to read that document for the details.
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+1
Additionally, since the mfr itself specifies a 75k replacement schedule, it is somewhat ludicrous to think that they would be covered by ANY type of warranty to 80k miles.
my VW golf has 198k km and I never changed the spark plugs(2.0 tfsi)
Ludicrous or not, on page 4 of that Warranty document under Emissions Related Parts …spark plugs are listed.
When I went directly to Mazda to see about warranties, there was no mention of a Federal Emissions Warranty. I’ll bet many people pay for warranty repairs because this Federal warranty is not well known.
If you read it closely, spark plugs are not considered a “major” component, which means they are only covered for 2yr/24K under the emissions warranty.
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How did George Burns live to 100 smoking cigars?
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Joe is correct. I need to get my careful legalese glasses on. Even though spark plugs are specifically mentioned, they are not the specified major components!
I certainly note that the specified major components are items that I would not want to have to pay for before 80,000.
My dentist want me to come in for regular maintenance every 6 months. How can I go only every 3 years and not have any cavities for the last 20 years?
You might not have cavities but most of the cleaning helps with gum health. Sometimes you just get away with stuff, whether it is the spark plugs or the gums/teeth.
Dentist: I also think we are going for the cleaning, primarily.
In addition, the probability of a single tooth needing a filling is multiplied by 32.
Besides, I like my dental hygienist a whole lot more than I like my spark plugs.
Nonetheless I haven’t had a cavity since I was 17. That’s 34 years with dentist visits only every 3-4 years.
Now I did need a root canal a couple of years ago. I bit into a hard piece of granola and broke a tooth. It started hurting 2 years later so I went to the dentist. Kind of like driving around with a check engine light and not having it fixed.
When I was 20 my dentist told me I needed both upper wisdom teeth extracted because they were causing bite problems and would give me tooth decay and headaches. When I was 49 one of them cracked so I had it removed.
When your mechanic tells you some work should be done to your car, he’s usually using his good judgment, just like my dentist does with me. The fact that I can go 2 years with a broken tooth or keep my wisdom teeth for 30 years doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do
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